CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - The White Sox could be on the move but not too far.
The team is reportedly involved in serious negotiations to build a brand new ballpark in the South Loop. The 62 acres of land at Roosevelt and Clark known as “The 78” is owned by Related Midwest.
In a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times, Mayor Brandon Johnson and White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf made no mention of a potential move and said a meeting was held, involving “the team’s ideas for remaining competitive in Chicago in perpetuity.”
The franchise’s current lease at Guaranteed Rate Field expires after the 2029 season.
The 78 is in line to be used for a portion of Governor Pritzker’s plans for a University of Illinois tech research center.
This past summer, a report first circulated that Reinsdorf would consider abandoning Guaranteed Rate Field after 2029. Leaving Chicago and moving the club to Nashville was listed as an option Reinsdorf was contemplating.
Reinsdorf addressed the report about a week later.
“Ever since the article came out, I’ve been reading about that I’ve been threatening to move the team to Nashville,” Reinsdorf said. “That article didn’t come from me. But it’s obvious that if we have six years left (on the lease), I think that’s what it is, we’ve got to decide. What’s the future going to be? We’ll get to it. But I’ve never threatened to move out. We haven’t even begun to have discussions with the Sports Authority, which we will have to do soon.”
Last month, the White Sox confirmed Reinsdorf met with Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell while in town for MLB’s Winter Meetings but refused to share what was discussed.
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